


Mastering Failure

by omnipotentia



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Badass Sokka (Avatar), Bisexual Sokka (Avatar), Canon Compliant, Gay Zuko (Avatar), Just Some Self-Indulgent Sokka Appreciation Honestly, M/M, Sokka (Avatar)-centric, Toph Beifong Being Awesome, Zuko Means Well, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, gay sparring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:15:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28438239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/omnipotentia/pseuds/omnipotentia
Summary: Sokka feels like he isn’t contributing enough to the group, so Zuko takes him into the forest to spar, and maybe even teach him a lesson along the way.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 111





	1. Chapter 1

There were a lot of things Sokka could think of right off the bat that weren’t nice- fire soldiers, the arrival of Sozin’s comet, Zuko’s hot but creepy sister, towns with no real meat. But the time spent in the Western Air Temple most definitely was nice. The evenings in particular were something he would cherish for the rest of his life. Sitting in a homely circle around the campfire, it felt like their group had created the world’s last safe haven that remained untouched by the war. The war that had taken a toll on all of them individually, the war whom they were all coping with in their own unique ways. Take Zuko, for example. 

By now they all knew that being a brooding asshole wasn’t his entire personality, but it was nonetheless a part of who he was. Sokka knew firsthand that he was still thinking about all the horrible things he had done to their group in the past, and that he could easily slip away into those moods where he felt that he was unworthy of fighting alongside the Avatar and all his amazing friends, undeserving of their friendship. A friendship that had only grown stronger and evolved into something new and beautiful after Zuko had put everything on the line to save Hakoda and Suki. It had made him an official member of Team Avatar, but those moods remained. Sokka understood.  
Now, something few people knew was that Sokka could get into those moods just as easily, these days. It seemed that he had abandoned a part of himself in the Fire Nation capital after their- his, the nagging voice corrected- invasion plan had failed spectacularly. He may have gotten his father and Suki out of the Boiling Rock, but it didn‘t get Sokka out of his head. It wasn‘t fair, either- how many of their allies and friends were still out there, suffering because of his miscalculations?   
It was one of those evenings where the guilt gnawing at him was particularly strong. He didn’t pay much attention to the conversation that was going on, and he would bat away the occasional concerned look with the flick of his wrist and a witty remark. Just bring on the dad jokes and make everything seem fine. Because he was Sokka, wielder of No Particular Powers Except His Wit. And they were all coping in their own unique ways and tired and desperate for a mental break after months on the run. They deserved to have one less thing to worry about. So he stopped bringing up the invasion and the feelings of guilt and shame attached to it altogether. Maybe they would just pass if he ignored them. 

His eyes wandered from his steaming cup of tea to the flickering light of the campfire. Even now, despite everyone’s good mood, he was stuck in a loop of thinking about his past screw-ups. Campfires were supposed to be pleasant memories of laughs, youth and friendship. Oh, and food. One could never forget Katara’s home-cooked meals. They were almost good enough to forgive her blatant disrespect of his comedic genius. Almost. 

It was one of those evenings in the camp where trouble seemed miles away, and they could just be semi-normal teenagers with semi-normal problems. Even Zuko seemed to be having a good time, and that guy was always on edge. If they managed to defeat Ozai and he was ever to take the crown, Sokka would so call him the Edge Lord and His Royal Jerkbenderness for the rest of their lives. Or at least until Zuko chased him out of the palace and banned him from ever entering the country again. A worthy sacrifice made in the name of science- how much was someone allowed to get on Zuko‘s nerves until it broke him? It was a weird idea, imagining himself in the Fire Nation capital after the war. But when had he ever been scared of weird ideas?   
He took another bite out of his food. Normally it would taste like a piece of home, like the stuff they ate back at the South Pole. But today it just tasted like meat to him.   
Sokka couldn’t help but think about how these campfires were usually his favorite part of any day, better than kicking Zuko’s butt in sword training and almost better than blubbered seal jerky. Not only did they remind him of home, but they were also setting the mood for great stories and the occasional heart-to-heart. As the only rational person and certified chill dude of the group, he often had to step in when tension was threatening to pull them apart. His interventions usually ended with the parties involved bonding over yelling at Sokka together. But he was the meat and sarcasm guy, so he could take it. Usually. He had no idea how Aang could do it for strangers 24/7. But that‘s the Avatar for you.

“And then we were surrounded by a dozen firebenders and kicked their butts- no offense, Sparky.”   
"None taken.” Zuko just shrugged, looking as cool as a cucumber. Or was it cool as a cabbage? They had run- and he did mean literally run- into cabbage man so many times he was almost an honorary member of Team Avatar himself. "Good one, Sokka”, he chuckled to himself. He needed to remember that line for the next time they ran into him and destroyed his cabbages, hopes and dreams. He really felt for the guy- he too was just an ordinary guy whose fun hobbies included being the butt of the joke and having the universe prove him wrong every other day. 

Ordinary... that was a word he hadn’t used in a long time, because there was no need to. There was nothing ordinary about their group. Not their journey, not the people they met, not even the ways in which their countless enemies tried to kill them... on good days. Sokka really was the odd one out in a group of special people vibrating with talent. Just your average, non-bending boomerang guy trying to get through life unscathed, that‘s him. 

He much preferred Katara’s water bending wrath to whatever wave of self-doubt he was being hit with now. He didn’t want to have to deal with it, not when everyone else was having such a good time. Not when it was one of those rare good evenings. It was an ugly feeling, one he liked to keep to himself and deal with by himself. When he looked up from his lap, nobody was even paying attention to him. Toph must have finished her story about how she sent a bunch of grown Fire Nation soldiers crying to their mamas, because they were all looking at Katara expectantly.  
"Now you’re just bragging”, she crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. Sokka knew that pout inside out. It was playful, but held just enough wounded pride for others to pity her. Not him. She had used that same act on Gran Gran one too many times when they were kids- they still were kids even now, technically, a fact that was easy to overlook when he thought about the tasks that lay ahead of them. 

"Besides, you failed to mention that I took out half of them.” And there it was. Even if all his other talents failed him, at least he was reassured that he knew his sister like the back of his hand. He couldn’t suppress a small smirk despite his sour mood. That’s Katara for you, always a sore loser despite claiming to take the higher route. He would gladly tease her about it another time, when he wasn’t feeling like such a human waste of space.

"Fine, Sugar Queen. You did pretty alright for a girl-"  
"You’re also a girl, Toph!“, Katara interrupted with a scoff.   
Toph seemed unbothered. "Like I was saying, since you did well you can have half the recognition. You’re welcome.“ The group started snickering, even Zuko, much to Katara’s annoyance. But Toph wasn’t done yet. "Let‘s just not call it bragging. I like to think of it as an intimidation tactic in case we ever find ourselves surrounded by enemies listening in on us.“

Sokka yelped in alarm. "Wouldn’t you out of all people know if we had an unwanted audience? You would tell us, right?”

"I’m sure it’s just a figure of speech, Sokka. A really weird figure of speech”, Aang chimed in, being the ever so trusting, peace-loving good person he was. Oh, you just had to love the guy. His pessimism- or sense of reality, as he liked to call it- could never.

"Yeah, Snoozles. Don’t get your panties in a twist. You always worry too much about everything and we‘re usually fine.“ Toph chuckled and lay back in the grass lazily. She didn’t know how much she hit the nail on the head with that one. Or scratch that, she probably did, because she knew basically everything about everyone all the time. It was both awesome and incredibly scary.

He narrowed his eyes at Toph, even though she couldn’t see him glaring. Hopefully she felt it. "I think your definition of usually fine has some soul searching to do. Need I remind you that we barely escaped last time? And the times before that, we were nearly roasted alive! And how can we possibly forget about that one glorious time Aang was almost boiled in oil?“ Sokka stopped counting their near death experiences on his hands mid-rant to look at the group unimpressed. "Wait a minute, you weren’t really with our group when that happened, were you?“

"Nope“, Toph chuckled. "But it sounds like a fun time. I do like boiling things in oil.“

"Thanks a bunch, Toph. Glad to know you care“, Katara glared at the earthbender and Sokka knew it was time to change the subject.

"Still, the rest of you have no excuses. Maybe Prince Jerkbender over there, except not really.”

Zuko, who had just been quietly listening and drinking tea for most of the conversation, set his tea cup down. "Leave me out of this. If you’re trying to say that I’m the one who put you in most of these situations, I knew that already.”

"Yeah, Sokka. He’s sorry for his past mistakes and actively trying to do better. I thought we‘ve been over this”, Aang frowned softly and placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder. "At one point, you need to learn to let go of your negative feelings.”

Sokka raised a brow as he thought back to nightly activities in Zuko‘s tent. If only the rest of them knew just how over it he really was. But he couldn’t easily say that now unless he wanted to risk waking up with two black eyes from Zuko and Katara respectively, if he would wake up at all. "Rest assured that there are no hard feelings between me and Zuko.” He cast a quick glance at the prince just in time to see him blush and hide it behind his tea cup. Typical. For a guy with so many emotions and complicated moods, he sure didn’t know how to express himself. It was kind of cute. "I’m just saying that you all know how quickly things can go wrong for us.”

"He’s right, you know. You didn’t really make it difficult for me to track you down and nearly capture you several times. And this was back when we didn’t have to beat the most powerful firebender in the world. We need to be on our guard more than ever.” Zuko stood up, probably in an attempt to steer the conversation away from whatever the hell their relationship status was. "Aang, you’re the Avatar. If we fail, it’s up to you to end this war. You’ll need more training if you’re going to defeat my father. We could all stand to train more.”

"Does this mean I finally get to beat you up, Sparky? It’s not a life-changing field trip, but I can work with that.” Toph cracked her knuckles, always ready to show what she was made of. Normally, Sokka would pay good money to watch Toph battle Zuko in an epic fight. But right now, that would clash with his carefully planned schedule. Cry himself to sleep at 11 pm, get up at 8 am. Hopefully not feel like gargabe by lunchtime.

"As much as I love a good show-off, I think I’ll be hitting the hay for tonight. We can resume training tomorrow.” Sokka faked an unconvincing yawn and turned towards his tent. But he didn’t get very far with his white lie, held back by a strong grip on his arm. Zuko.

"Wait. There’s something I want to show you in the forest first. If you’re not too tired.“ Sokka tried to look anywhere but at Zuko, but his resolve crumbled anyway. If Zuko could tell that he was faking it, it was probably really obvious. "Fine. But make it quick.”

"Ugh, guys. Way too many details”, Toph visibly gagged, making a face. She might be onto them, but you never really knew with her. It was simply best not to test her. Sokka was just about to protest that this was so not what they were talking about- even though he sent out a silent prayer that it was- when Zuko tightened his grip on his arm. Wow, Zuko was still touching him, despite Katara‘s cautious glare. Nice. But there was no time to dwell on the details as Sokka was dragged off into the dark forest. 

Preparing for a hot makeout session against a tree, Sokka checked his breath. He hummed, not finding anything wrong with it and adjusting his robes to look presentable- and kissable. "Alright. You said there was something you wanted to show me?“  
Leaning in for a kiss, he was quickly taken out of his fantasy by the weight of cold metal in his hands. It was hard to recover from making a kissy face at air, but Sokka always bounced back. "Uh... That’s a sword? Hey, wait a minute- that’s my space sword! Won’t you look at that, I didn’t even notice it was gone. How‘d you do that?“

"Uh... Years of sneaking around behind the Fire Nation‘s back?“ Zuko scratched the back of his neck, suddenly looking every bit the awkward teenager that he was, beneath all the layers of hurt and confusion. Sokka took great pleasure in making his hothead of a boyfriend act all flustered and cute. Few people got to see him open up, but he truly adored what he saw underneath. 

"Why didn’t you just ask me to spar like, I don’t know, crazy thought here, a normal person?“ He leaned forward to flick his forehead. "I mean, you really had me thinking that we were about to do something forbidden. But all of that aside, are you sure you thought this through, buddy? Like the fact that it‘s pitch-black outside? I know you’re crazy skilled, but trying to see a sword coming your way without, i don‘t know, seeing? We’re not Toph. No offense, but are you trying to get both of us killed in a training accident?“

Even in the darkness, Sokka could make out the look of annoyance that crossed Zuko’s face. He almost felt bad for pointing out the obvious. Almost. "We‘re not here to spar. At least not like we normally would.“ Sokka was about to throw back a witty comeback when a hand shut his mouth for him. Zuko narrowed his eyes at him. "Before you start mocking me, just hear me out, okay?“

Sokka just nodded, a bit turned on by the forcefulness in Zuko‘s voice. And also the fact that Zuko knew him well enough to shut him up at the right moment. Zuko who was suddenly standing right in front of him and staring into his eyes. "I‘m going to remove my hand and you‘ll close your eyes. Can you do that for me?“ Sokka nodded and closed his eyes, really liking where this was going.

Well, Sokka was disappointed in the kiss-department for the second time that night. But he was too astounded to care. All around the clearing, lanterns were now lit, bathing the whole place in the most beautiful lights he had ever seen. "Woah. I stand corrected. This is some next-level romancing. I can‘t believe I never thought of seducing you like this before.“ Sokka grinned and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend‘s waist, who laughed as he gently pushed him away. Oh, how he hated to see him do that, but getting to hear that rare laugh was so worth it.  
"That‘s because we‘re not here for a date. Well, actually, you might call it a date depending on your definition of dates. But it‘s not meant to be a date-date. Not that I wouldn’t love one! One day, when the war is over. Just not right now. Argh! This is hard.“

"Calm down, babe.“ Sokka took his hand and started rubbing soothing circles into his palm. "I don‘t think I‘m following just yet. But mark me down as intrigued. Where do swords come into this mysterious plan of yours?”

Zuko took a deep breath, visibly relaxing. "Right, I almost forgot. I’ll use my firebending against you in a swordfight. I want you to not only dodge my attacks but also disarm me.“

"Now why would I be suicidal enough to try that? I love you, but you‘re greatly overestimating my skills. You‘re one of the strongest benders I know and I‘m just an ordinary guy with a sword- admittedly, a really cool sword. But it‘s still just a piece of space metal at the end of the day.“ Sokka took another step towards him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Look. I can guess what you‘re trying to do here, man, and I really appreciate it. You think I‘m down on myself for risking my friends’ lives on the day of the Black Sun and you‘re probably right. I‘m flattered, really. But I‘m just not as good as the rest of you guys. I’m too... non-bendy to keep up. Accept it. Appreciate the effort, though. See you tomorrow.“

"No!“ Zuko grabbed his arm as he got ready to leave. "No? Which one?“, Sokka raised a brow, curious enough to stop in his tracks. "No“, Zuko repeated. "No, I won‘t accept you wallowing in self-pity, and no, you‘re wrong about yourself. I‘ve seen you put yourself down for weeks and I’m honestly sick of it. We’ll defeat my father and free everyone who’s been imprisoned by the Fire Nation.”

Sokka tried to laugh it off like he always did. "I know you joined our group kind of late, but the invasion plan failed because I miscalculated the obvious holes in it. Because of decisions I made, lots of our friends and allies are in prison now. Maybe I‘m just not cut out to be a leader.”

Zuko sighed deeply, exhaling fire through his nose in what looked like an attempt to calm down. Sokka swore he could hear Zuko murmur something along the lines of power in firebending comes from the breath, not the muscles. "Look, I know you‘re hurting because you think you‘re useless. That you‘re a burden to the group. Believe me, I get it. I felt the same way after I joined your group. I still sometimes feel that way now, but I’m sure you knew that already. You're scared of repeating failures, and you will. You will fail again and again.”

"Yeah, not really making me feel better, buddy“, Sokka huffed, looking away. But looking away didn‘t change the fact that Zuko was right. He had struggled with his self image ever since his little sister had turned out to be a waterbending prodegy, always having to defend him- even though it was supposed to be the other way around. Then there were the brief romances with Princess Yue and Suki, both of which had ended in numbing pain because he was too weak to protect them from harm. Oh, and you could never forget Sokka‘s amazing instincts that were wrong fifty percent of the time, or his failed attempts at being a good leader to the group. He felt like he was letting everyone down all of the time simply by breathing, by being Sokka instead of Hakoda.

"The important part is“, Zuko continued, "that you‘ll get back up. I know you will because we‘re not that different, in that way. Life never held back for me either. Accept your failures and live with them. They’re a part of who you are, but you can’t let them define you.” When Zuko touched his scar, Sokka wanted to take a step forward and give him a hug. "I had to learn that the hard way, maybe so that you won’t have to. I won’t let you give up on yourself, Sokka. This might sound like something straight out of my Uncle‘s lectures, but it‘s the truth.“ His expression softened for a moment as he touched Sokka’s jaw. "There is greatness in you.“ Spirits, Zuko was completely serious about this. He could tell by the way he looked at Sokka. His golden eyes were completely consumed with fire and passion. It was a raw and beautiful sight, but it also frightened Sokka. Was he really worth all that excitement? He wanted to ask, but Zuko wasn’t finished just yet.

"For the longest time, I thought all of it was my fault. The Agni Kai, losing my mother, the banishment, the scar. Of course, I’ve made some terrible choices along the way that I can’t take back, but I‘m owning up to those mistakes now. Sokka, I blamed myself for everything and it alienated me from the only person in the entire world who actually cared for me. If my journey taught me one thing, it’s that nobody can give you your honor back except yourself. You think you’re undeserving of being a part of the group? I think you need to face yourself and start seeing what the rest of us see.”

"Zuko...“, he frowned softly and cupped his cheek, watching the firebender lean into his touch immediately. There was something so intimate about this moment, and he felt incredibly lucky that he got to see a side of Zuko that few even knew existed. "You‘re okay now, alright? I‘m here.“ To really drive the point home, he pulled him into a tight hug and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. "I feel a bit better already, don‘t you?“ He chuckled when Zuko pushed him away, a small frown on his face. "The self-loathing isn‘t the point I was trying to make! It‘s the part where you have to live with your demons and not let them consume you that‘s important.“

Sokka raised a brow, but he couldn’t entirely cover up how much his words had affected him. "Okay, I’ve only met your uncle briefly, but now you’re really starting to sound like him. He sounds like a wise man.”  
Zuko smiled briefly. "Yeah, he really is the wisest person I know. He’s taught me so much, even when I didn’t want to hear what he had to say. Some of it I want to share with you now, if you’ll let me.“

Sokka was overwhelmed for a moment, genuinely unable to form a sentence that made sense. If this wasn’t the man he was going to marry, he‘d let Gran Gran beat some sense into him for sure. He almost forgot to say yes. "I... Yeah. Let‘s do this.” Unsheathing his sword, he pointed it at the clearing. "So, uh... What exactly do you want me to do?“

Zuko raised a brow in response. "I thought I already told you what I‘d do. You can figure out for yourself what that means you should be doing if you don’t want to get toasted.“

"You drive a hard bargain. I can respect that“, Sokka rolled his shoulders back until he heard a crack, making a few experimental jabs with his sword. "What do I get if I manage to disarm you? Another kiss? Your honor?”

Zuko chuckled as he unsheathed his dual blades. "That would be too easy, and no. I’m not giving my honor back. If you win, I‘ll let you in on a secret.“

"Ooh, a secret? Are you finally going to come out as gay? But I already knew that, hot stuff.“ Sokka‘s teasing earned him a fire kick aimed at his general direction, but it didn‘t hit nearly close enough to actually burn him. 

"Great guess, but no. It‘ll be worth your while, I promise.“ Sokka found himself releasing a bubbly laugh despite the situation they were in. Zuko‘s seriousness would never fail to amuse him, ever.

"Whatever you say, pretty boy. Ready to get your ass kicked?”


	2. Chapter 2

"The first step towards becoming a bending prodigy is understanding the element you’re trying to master”, Zuko said, easily blocking a straightforward blow with his dual swords.   
"That sounds good in theory, but you’re missing one crucial point. I’m not a bender.”   
How Sokka managed to look so smug even when he was simultaneously battling an existential crisis and dodging a fire kick was beyond Zuko. He truly was one of the most powerful nonbenders Zuko had ever met, and he knew people like Mai and Ty Lee.  
"Even so, your life still depends on the four elements. Uncle told me that you can’t really win a fight without understanding that everything is connected.”  
Sokka grunted as he rolled to the side, taking cover behind a rock to escape the heat for a moment. "I don’t know, that sounds like Avatar stuff if you ask me.”

Zuko couldn’t help but smile at that. He vividly remembered having the same reaction when his Uncle first tried to teach him. "Sure, but there’s more to it than the spiritual stuff. My Uncle once taught me a move to redirect lightning. One he made up after watching waterbender movements. That move later saved my life against my father. In order to win, you can’t just draw your power from one source.” As he said that, he continued his merciless fire attacks on Sokka.

"So you’re telling me that I have to draw my power from multiple sources too, if I want to win against you?”

Zuko hummed in agreement, twirling around quickly to block a sneak attack from behind. "Yeah, I suppose that’s what this boils down to. Benders from all four nations have unique fighting styles that can help you win.”

"What about... Sokka style?”, he teased, getting his boomerang out, and Zuko immediately feared for the back of his neck. "No, that’s just cheating!”

Sokka huffed. "Says the guy who is currently shooting fire at me, a nonbender, in a sword duel.”  
“Well, this is different. You’re as powerful as any bender if you play your strengths right. Now stop wasting your breath arguing and fight me.” Zuko was breathing more heavily too, since he wasn’t used to talking so much during their sparring matches. But then again, he also wasn’t used to having a point to make. There was a first time for everything. 

“Alright, Sifu Zuko. I am but your humble student.” Zuko didn’t miss the sarcasm dripping off that statement, but being called a sifu made him flustered nonetheless. 

"Less joking around, more defending yourself”, he reminded Sokka with a jab that he dodged in the last possible moment. When he wasn’t met with any of Sokka’s typical objections, he proceeded, adjusting his footing to that of an earthbending master, steady and unmoving.

"Let’s start with the basics. Uncle says Earth is the element of substance. Just like the people of the Earth Kingdom, you have to be diverse, strong and enduring to win a fight. They’re unyielding but observant, a people who waits and listens for the right moment to strike. And then attack.” Zuko waited until the last possible moment to dodge Sokka’s attack, sending the latter on his ass with one swift kick. 

"I think I’m starting to see what you mean”, Sokka groaned, rubbing his ass and rolling out of the way before Zuko could kick him again. "Sorry”, he winced and feared he might be taking it too far. Sokka was still just mastering the blade, after all, while he had years of training with Master Piandao and then some on his back.

"Don’t be. I’ll gladly repay you Sokka-style. Come at me.” His sudden shift in confidence didn’t go unnoticed by Zuko, who also noted that he had taken an earthbending stance. It reminded him somewhat of Toph, who was probably the source of inspiration Sokka drew from. He couldn’t help the small smirk that curled his lips upward. Good. Sokka was finally adapting to his challenge. "As you wish.“ 

From then on, Zuko wasn‘t holding back anymore, and he wondered if Sokka could tell. His defense had improved significantly and Zuko was having trouble finding openings in his stance that allowed him to strike. In return, Sokka‘s blows were better timed and harder to fend off. "Not bad“, Zuko muttered, taking a few steps back to continue his lesson. "Air is the element of freedom. As a sword master, you need to be flexible and able to follow the path of least resistance.“ 

"Hey! What happened to being unyielding? Don‘t these things cancel each other out naturally?“, Sokka yelped, hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. This match was taking a lot out of both of them. Zuko thought for a moment, remembering his own hardships. „No, sometimes you need to face your opponent head-on, and sometimes it’s better to evade and deflect. Believe me, I wish I had taken that advice sooner. Being a swordsman means using your powers to protect and defend the ones you love.“

Sokka approached him with a smirk, his weapon turned downwards as a peace offering. "If I‘m going to use my skills to protect my loved ones, why am I fighting you? Shouldn’t I be fighting someone for you?“ Zuko genuinely didn‘t know how to respond to that, taking a step back and tripping over a root. "Spirits! Stop flirting with your opponent and concentrate!“

All of that resolve went out of the window when Sokka leaned down and came dangerously close, leaning in to kiss him- he opened his eyes to find both Sokka and his dual swords missing from his body. 

"You were going to tell me I need to be quick on my feet and able to outsmart my opponent, correct? I think I‘ve got that part down.“ Sokka was teasing him by flaunting the swords he had stolen from him in an unfair move, and Zuko, now disarmed, raised a fire fist. "Just be warned that this won‘t work a second time and you still have to defeat me.“

Sokka kicked his precious swords off into the forest without a care and he was lucky in that moment that Zuko was too busy trying to get a point across to kill him. "So, what’s next, spiritual guru? Water? Fire?“, Sokka teased, keeping a respectful distance.

Zuko took a deep breath as he advanced, vaguely annoyed by Sokka‘s newfound cockiness. Well, it was better than the brooding, for sure, and kind of relieving to see him switch back to normal. Still, he hated proving Sokka right because it only further stroked his ego. But maybe that was exactly what both of them needed right now. 

"Water is the element of change. It’s all about going with the flow of energy, about being in absolute harmony with your environment-"  
"That’s probably why you were born a firebender. You know, the exact opposite of water?“, Sokka laughed. Zuko wanted to be mad at him for that, but he couldn’t exactly disagree with his statement. Besides, it was nice to hear Sokka’s genuine laugh again.   
"You’re lucky you’re cute. As I was saying, it’s all about being one with your environment. Water bender movements are graceful and fluid. A good swordsman makes the blade act like an extension of their body. Making it look natural requires a lot of discipline and training. I’d show you, but I don’t have my swords.“ Sokka raised a brow, blocking a fire punch with his sword. "Sorry? I think I get what you mean, man.“ To drive that point home, he invaded Zuko‘s personal space and got so close to knocking him down with the tip that he had to jump back.

"Yeah, like that.“ Zuko hated how raspy his voice sounded, like he was actually struggling in this fight. "But it’s not enough to just be aggressive. Let your defense become your offense. You’re fighting someone stronger than you? Good. Turn your opponent’s energy against them. Use your surroundings to your advantage.“ 

"Use my surroundings to my advantage, huh?“ Oh no. Spirits. Sokka had that examining look on his face, one Zuko had grown very familiar with over the past few months. In his head, he called it the "inventor look“, it meant that the gears behind Sokka‘s eyes were grinding and crafting a plan that would actually work most of the time. In all truth, he was deeply concerned for his well-being after seeing that look. But common sense had never stopped him before either, and so he charged at Sokka.

Big mistake. In the few seconds he hadn‘t watched him, Sokka had somehow gotten hold of vines and attached one end to his boomerang, the other staying firmly in his grip. Zuko didn‘t know what hit him when Sokka threw the boomerang and watched the vines wrap around Zuko at least ten times before he caught it again. Then he tugged and caused Zuko‘s fall. "Oh look, it’s the catch of the day: angry firebender boyfriend.“   
He leaned down, probably in order to tease him, Zuko thought with a light head. But he wasn‘t about to admit defeat before he finished his lecture. He took a deep breath. Power in firebending comes from the breath, not the muscles. Sokka had obviously not expected him to use his fire breath to burn off the vines, and he fell on his ass with a rather undignified sound.

"Fire..“, Zuko stated smugly, crawling over to Sokka, who was blushing a ridiculous amount as he was straddled. Either of them could win the match now if they really wanted to. "Fire is the element of power. When you wield a sword, you wield power. Power over your own destiny and over someone else’s life. It’s the ugliest part of swordsmanship. Fire is the element of destruction. Make one wrong move and it‘s over. You can‘t take back power, you can‘t undo it. If you don‘t know how to handle it, it‘s a curse." There was an undertone of regret in his voice that he was almost certain didn‘t go unnoticed by Sokka, because he reached out to cup his cheek. Zuko felt the warmth on his skin and didn‘t want it to leave him, nestling against Sokka‘s hand. It made it difficult for him to continue, but he had to.

"Fire is most commonly fueled by rage, hatred, and anger. Our drive comes from the need to prove ourselves and accomplish our goals by any means necessary. When you abuse your power over others, you become unpredictable and ruthless. It’s the ultimate downfall of any swordsman.“ He hated the look of concern Sokka gave him. It wasn‘t patronizing, but instead warm and open. It made him wonder briefly how he could be deserving of such an amazing boyfriend. He swallowed like the words hurt his throat.

„When Aang was killed by my sister at Ba Sing Se…you saw what fire fueled by the wrong motivation can do. Like a blade, it gives you a tool to inflict great pain. To be honest, I never saw what was so great about being a firebender. I wasn’t particularly good and my first attempts only hurt the people I loved because I didn‘t know what I was doing.“ He didn‘t expect to be met with such a determined look when he finally met Sokka‘s eyes.

"Fire is also warmth, Zuko. And life. When we were kids, Gran Gran told us stories about the moon and the sun and how one couldn’t be without the other. You’re acting like fire is the only element that can be abused by bad guys. Trust me as someone who’s been knocked around by benders from every nation either accidentally or deliberately when I tell you that all elements can cause hurt. Like when you and Aang got stuck in that blizzard at the North Pole? Sure, that was self-inflicted pain and you were incredibly stupid to walk out into a snowstorm in the first place, but ice doesn’t care if you freeze to death. And earth! You can anger an earthbender and get all your bones broken under a pile of rocks. As for air, well... They were pacifists, but I‘m sure they‘ve accidentally, maybe knocked someone off a cliff before? The point is that every element has the power to do good and evil. It‘s up to you to decide how you’ll use it. The important part is that you don’t draw your firebending from negative emotions anymore. Think about it this way. You’re some sort of pioneer in this, and maybe you can be the first in a long line of new firebenders to remind your folks of the original source?”   
When Sokka offered him a hand to help him up, Zuko took it and let himself be pulled into Sokka’s arms. "Besides... some just like it hot.“  
Zuko snorted and pushed at his chest, but his heart wasn‘t really in it. "You just had to go and ruin the moment, didn’t you?” He sighed and wrapped his arms around his shoulders. "Thank you, Sokka. I think I needed this more than you needed me.”

Sokka shook his head as he hugged him gently, resting his hands on his waist. "No no, I think I learned an important lesson today.”  
"And what lesson would that be? If I don’t like your answer, I might shoot fire at you for real”, Zuko deadpanned. Sokka could probably tell he was joking, but one thing about Zuko’s sarcasm was that it was so wry you never knew if he was serious or not.

"I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear this. My own boyfriend having so little faith in me”, Sokka sighed theatrically and Zuko couldn’t help rolling his eyes at his antics, but it didn’t stop a blush from spreading on both their cheeks. Sokka gave him an adorable smile that nearly melted his heart.  
"Aside from a pretty good workout, you really gave me something to think about today. And my head feels a lot lighter already, but in a good way? I’m not exactly sure how you did it, but this helped a lot.“ Zuko could tell by the way he carried himself that he wasn’t lying- his unconventional method had actually worked.  
It made his frown turn into a small smile. "I didn‘t do anything except shoot some fire at you and tell you one of Uncle‘s lengthy anecdotes. The rest was all you.“

"At least you didn’t forget the punchline this time“, Sokka chuckled, placing a kiss on his collarbone. It tickled a bit. He needed to remind Sokka to shave, but that could wait.   
"Careful. I haven’t decided if I like your answer yet.” Sokka smiled brightly when their foreheads touched, chest puffed out. "So, about that secret you owe me, jerkbender...”

"Oh right, I did promise to tell you a secret if you won... Now that I think about it, you might actually know already. Sorry.” Zuko didn’t even pretend to look like he was remotely sorry. It earned him a small pout.

"Seriously, Zuko? You have to at least tell me what it was that I risked my head for.” Zuko was annoyed to find out that his smile was contagious. Well, he might as well say it and get it over with. He’d never been too good at figuring out the emotional stuff. "I, er... Well... I was just going to tell you that I think you‘re as great as any bender I know. But I‘m guessing you knew that already.“

"Yeah, I guess you‘re right. Still a weird way to tell me that you love me, but hey. I’ll take it.“ Spirits. Sokka was too smart for his own good.

"That‘s not what I was getting at“, he scowled, but his blush was probably a dead giveaway.

"Then how about this: I must be pretty badass if I managed to defeat the future Fire Lord in a one on one, huh?“ Just this once, Zuko let himself be pushed against a tree and kissed.

"Yeah... You could say that.“

Only it didn’t feel like a defeat at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! This is my first attempt at writing Zukka, so let me know what you think! I wish everyone a good New Year’s Eve! :)

**Author's Note:**

> The only thing better than one idiot with a sword is TWO idiots with a sword


End file.
